Sunday, 1 May 2005

No-one deplores more than I the use of strong language on the net, particularly in those boring simple-minded polemics which are called rants and are peppered liberally with pointless swear-words (though "liberal" is not a word one usually associates with their authors). It is refreshing, therefore, to come across an instance where such a mode of expression adds to rather than detracts from the thrust of its argument, giving it an entirely appropriate emphasis.

Other Men's Flowers is essentially a repository for gentle and kindly comment, and I will not have it sullied by the appearance in it of words likely to offend the pure in heart; therefore I will not even deign to type the indelicate name of the website; I merely put a link to it HERE and commend it as a pungent yet perceptive (though somewhat partisan) analysis of the North/South divide in the USA, albeit one which one would hesitate to send on to one’s grandmother in Florida lest she passes it round her retirement home and it causes offence, or even offense.The website also contains some links to other sites which provide a useful historical background to its theme.[Thank you to my friend Edward Cabot Ames III of Boston Beanfeastfor bringing this admirable site to my attention.]

ROFL...It's hilarious Tony! And probably all true, But really, waaaaay over the top. And your lead-in just makes it all a perfect hoot. That's it---I'm linking to "Other Men's Flowers" on my blog as the best compliment I can pay you for a consistently good read and the best blog I've come across to date. How do you say there..."Good show old chap!"Well done!

Aw, shucks. Glad you've worked out that when I say "Comments welcome" what I really mean is "Fulsome praise welcome, other comments deleted or ignored".I say, you're a bit of a polyglot, aren't you? Good show is RAF slang c1940, old chap is Wodehouse c1925 and perfect hoot is standard upper-class 1960s.

Well, I'm trying to relate--as it were--"from across the pond", and the best I can do is cobble together the bits and pieces that I've been able to pick up here and there over the years."Good Show"--as RAF slang--I probably picked up from all the old WWII movies I used to watch. The "Old Chap"--Well, I read all the Jeeves and Wooster installments in a large tome called "The World of Jeeves" I think it was, though I'm not sure of the name and it is no longer anywhere on my shelf. As for the "perfect hoot"--Ah! that one is still used occasionally...and having got my "sea legs" I was wasn't going to pass up on the chance to use it here. Cheers!